SoHood Statement: Staten Island Stand UP! One of the illest sharpest lyricist 9th Prince talks about his solo debut album being released through his own Independent label Armyourself Ent.

His Management Team: Protect-ya-neck.com

Fans can buy the album online straight from www.protect-ya-neck.com

Talks About His Album Titled "Grand Daddy Flow"

SoHood.com: Let's talk about your debut solo album Grand Daddy Flow?
9th Prince: Yeah, yeah fourteen bangers on there. I got two tracks with the RZA. I got one produced by the RZA. I got a couple of tracks produced by 4th Disciple and True Master. A lot of my production are mainly kept it in the WU Family you know. It's my best work so far, it's my first solo album. It's a bangin' street album; you got knowledge you got a couple of joints for the ladies, it's a mixed up of things, it's the truth you know. Where I come from Staten Island we got some of the realest music ever that people all over the world respect so I think definiately they going to enjoy this album right here.

SoHood.com: So when is it going to drop?
9th Prince: May 20. I got my own distribution, but it's mainly going to be on the East Coast.

SoHood.com: So you going to be releasing it through your Independent label?
9th Prince: Exactly! But it's mainly going to be on the East Coast though, it's going to be in the West Coast like in the beginning of the winter or something, it'll start hittin' the West Coast.

SoHood.com: Why did you name yourself "9th Prince"?
9th Prince: I got that from a karate movie; it's a movie called Revenge of the Iron Fingers. I mean the character; the main bad guy is named the 9th Prince. He's going to war against two other princes and I liked his character and he's grimey. And at the same time smart and he had alot of females and he could fight, so I admired his character, so I started to call myself the 9th Prince. I break it down into mathematics soul; like the number 9 in mathematics means Born being brought to existence. And I'm a black prince of the ghetto, so I'm a born prince.

Talks about his Brother RZA 
 
SoHood.com: How much of an influence was RZA to you as far as pursuiting a rap career?
9th Prince: Well, not really. I started out in 87'; I was like twelve years old and use to be around him and the Ol' Dirty Bastard and the Genius. I grew up with them; those are my cousins and RZA that's my brother. So just growing up being around that environment made me wanta write you know what I mean.

SoHood.com: Did you ever think that Wu be doing, what they doing now?
9th Prince: Hell yeah!! I've been seeked the vision a long time ago probably before even the other clan members ever seeked the vision. I been seen the vision.

SoHood.com: How's Ol' Dirty Bastard doing, since being released out of prison?
9th Prince: He's aight right now. I've not talked to him yet but he's laying low. He's just trying to stay focus that's all, really right now.

SoHood.com: What's going on with Killarmy right now?
9th Prince:  We all doing solo projects right now basically. We got another Killarmy album coming out probably be out in 2004. Independent is the way to go right now. You know more control of alot of things people can't tell you what do or try to change your music things of that nature.

SoHood.com: Yeah, cause it takes too long to drop an album on a major.
9th Prince: Yeah exactly! They woulda hold on; we not feelin' this song right now, it's not radio enough. I mean fuck radio, I don't need radio nah'mean.

SoHood.com: Even though WU ain't getting that much burn on Hot97 like it use to. What chu feel about that?
9th Prince:I feel like they always treated us like step kids anyways (Laughin). They don't really give us any real airplay anyway. In the early 90's you know we had alot of airplay. After 97' you know after the Summer Jam it wasn't the same ever. You know Nas went on the radio 107.9 dissed them.

SoHood.com: But then he came back.
9th Prince:  Yeah, he told people to rob Flex and all that. And now they on his joint again?

SoHood.com: Yeah cause he apologized.
9th Prince: Yeah, I know, but I'm sayin ..I know my brother and he apologized like hundred times to a couple radio programers up there but they still didn't really, you know what I mean. I think it's more than music with us, I think it's a revolution with us and they don't want that revolution to happen. Like Nas, no disrespect or nothing.. like he's sounding very contradictable as far as his lyrics and all. But I don't know maybe, it's just the way he speaks I guess nah'mean.

SoHood.com: What made you go and drop a Solo Album?
9th Prince: I had to do it. I started solo really, I put Killarmy together back in 93' you know. Basically no one knew each other from Killarmy and I brung everybody together. So you know, my brother told me go ahead do a solo album 9th Prince, and put it out like that Nah'mean. But I always want to do joints with my peoples and bring my niggaz inside the industry, and show them how we get down nahmean. When you do a solo thang; you showing your personality just how you feel and how you live and sometimes you got to break loose and show people that you can stand on your own.

SoHood.com: What do think about the beefs going on right now? (Eminem, 50 Cent, and Ja Rule etc.)
9th Prince: Well, I think they'll be always beef in Hip-Hop really. Back then Hip-Hop started out on some battling type thang you know. Back when Cold Crush brothers and Kool Moe D.

SoHood.com: But that was strictly on wax though. 
9th Prince: Yeah, but you probably had some brothers back then punching other rappers in the face. You know just for disrespecting them on wax. I'm one of those brothers too, if you disrespecting me forget about keeping it on wax I don't like that. Because once someone disrespects a person then other people think that they can disrespect you too. So really no one should be able to disrespect you nah'mean. They disrespect you, got to show example. That's how I feel really. I mean they say, keep it on wax, keep it on wax, fuck that man!! You don't have to kill nobody but you have to sometimes put people in there place and sometimes violence is the answer.

SoHood.com: Yeah, you got to let them know.
9th Prince: EXACTLY!

SoHood.com: Any upcoming projects?
]9th Prince: We got a CD coming out through the internet from Killarmy; it's a documentry so people can get to know us a lil better you know.

SoHood.com:Any last thoughts you want to leave the WU Fans?
9th Prince: YEAH. Killarmy is here forever!! We gonna continue keeping Real Hip-Hop alive. Support 9th Prince forever man you know.. I stay true to the game nah'mean.